Pivoted tool for compressing electrical connectors



July 5,1955 w A. R. LANDIS PIVOTED TOOL FOR COMPRESSING ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed May 25, 1952 mmvron. ALFRED R. LANDIS BY Wmfi United States Patent PIVOTED TOOL FOR COMPRESSING ELECTRICAL CONNECTGRS Alfred R. Landis, St. Johns Station, Mm, assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application May 23, 1952, Serial No. 289,616

2 Claims. (Ci. 81-15) This invention relates generally to pressure tools and more specifically to such tools which are intended particularly, although not exclusively, for use in applying compressible electric connectors to electrical conductors, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a pressure tool of this type which is simple in its construction, arrangement and in its operation and which is capable of performing its intended function in a highly efiicient manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved tool of this invention, parts of the handles being broken away to permit of the view being drawn to a larger scale, and a part of one of said handles being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the tool shown in Fig. 1, more of the handles being broken away in Fig. 2 than in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. l but showing parts of the tool in changed positions.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken on line 66 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for purposes of illustration, merely, one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved tool generally. The tool A includes a head 1 which is shaped as is shown to good advantage in Figs. 1 and 3; that is to say, said head includes an overhanging upper portion 1a, a lower, vertically disposed boss 1b through which is formed a screwthreaded opening 1c, and a vertical web portion 1d which integraily joins said overhanging upper portion and said lower boss portion. Disposed at opposite sides of the upper, overhanging portion of the head 1 is a pair of plate elements 2 which are shaped as is shown to good advantage in Figs. 1 and 3. The plate elements 2 contact with the opposite faces of the head 1 and said plate elements are pivotally attached to said head at their forward portions by a pivot member 3.

Pivotally attached to the rear portions of the plate elements 2 is a pair of links 4, said links being disposed at opposite sides of the head 1 and said pivotal attachment being obtained through the instrumentality of a pivot member 5 whose outer end portions are disposed in openings formed through the links 4 and the plate elements 2, and whose intermediate portion extends through an enlarged opening 6 formed through the head 1. It is the upper portions of the links 4 which are pivotally attached to the plate elements 2, and at their lower ends said links are pivotally attached by a pivot member 7 to an offset portion 8' of a movable handle 8. The handle 3 is pivotally attached at its upper end by means of a pivot member 9 to the head 1, said handle portion 8' having a screwthreaded opening 10 formed therein which receives a screw 10 that abuts against a lug 11 extended downwardly from the lower portion of the head 1 so as to limit inward movement of the handle 8. It

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is to be noted that the portion 8 of the handleSis bifurcated with spaced portions thereof located at opposite sides of the head 1 (Fig. 2), and the handle 8 is in the form of a pair of tubes 12 and 13' arranged r igidly one within the other, with an extension 14 of the handle portion 8' projected into the upper portion of the inner tube of the handle and fr'ictionally gripped therein.

The plate elements 2 support a die member 15in the manner shown to good advantage in Figs. 3 and 4'; that is to say, the head 1 is provided with a tapered recess 16 having a rounded top portion. The upper portion of the die 15 is of similar shape and is disposed in said re: cess, a pin 17 being extended through openings formed through the plate elements 2 and the upper portion of the die 15. A lower portion of the die 15' projects downwardly of the lower faces of the plate element's, this lower die portion being of slightly less thickness than the upper portion of the die and having an arcuate' recess 18 formed therein.

The tool A of this invention includes, also, a vertically disposed rod 19 having a screwthreaded portion 19" which is screwthreadedly disposed in the previously mentioned screwthreaded opening" 10 formed through the boss 1b. This vertical rod 19 is provided with a splined lower end portion 20 which is frictionaily received in the upper end portion of an inner tube- 21 of a handle 22 which is comprised of said inner tube 21 and an outer tube 23 rigidly assembled one with respect to the other. Adjacent to the upper end of the rod- I9'sai'd' rod is p'r'ovided with an annular groove 24 and the upper portion of said rod is of slightly reduced diameter, as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 4. Also, this upper rod portion of reduced diameter is received within a lower, inverted, cup-shaped portion 25 of a die membei 25; This die member is provided with an upwardly extended portion 26 having an arcuate recess 27' formed therein, the die members 15 and 25' and the arcuate recesses- 18 and 27 thereof being alined with each other. The inverted, cup-shaped portion 25 of the die member 25 is provided with a pair of opposed openings which receive headed pins 28, the inner end portions of said pins 28 being projected into said annular groove 24 of the upper portion of the rod 19. Also, the upper portion of the rod 19 has a vertically extended opening 29 formed therein in which is arranged a coil spring 30- (Fig. 4), said coil spring contacting at its lower end with the bottom wall of the opening 29 and contacting at its upper end with the face 31 of the cup-shaped portion of the die member 25. By referring to Fig. 6 it will be noted that the die member 25 is provided with a pair of opposed and spaced wings 32 which overlap raised portions 33 formed on the head 1 and thereby prevent rotation of said die member 25 with the rod 19, although permitting straight-line movement of said die member relative to thhe web portion 1d of the head 1 in response to adjustment of the rod 19, as will presently appear herein.

When in the use of the improved tool of this invention, said tool is being employed for applying electrical connectors to electrical conductors by compressing the connectors or the conductors, the handle 22 is rotated in the appropriate direction to cause the rod 19 to move downwardly in a screwthreaded manner relative to the boss 1b and thereby move the die member 25 away from the die member 15. The connector having been temporarily applied to the conductors the tool is passed over the connector so that a portion of the connector is seated in the arcuate recess of the die member 15. The handle 22 is then rotated in the appropriate direction to move the die member 25 into firm contact with the connector after which the handle 8, which has been in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, is moved to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. This operation will move the rear portions of the plate elements 2 in a downward direction, thus pivoting said plate elements about the pivot member 3 and forcing the die member 15 forcibly against the connector so as to compress said connector about the conductors to which it is being applied. This operation is repeated as many times as required to completely compress the connector on the conductors with which it is to be associated, the handle 8 being moved to its open position, the die member 25 being screwed into tight contact with the connector, and the handle 8 then being moved to its closed position so as to compress the connector between the die members 15 and 25.

The function of the coil spring 30 is to maintain the die member 25 in firm engagement with the connector even when the handle 8 is moved to the open position thereof, preparatory to going through an additional cycle of connector compressing operations. Thus, when the tool has been operated to compress a connector and the handle 8 is moved to its open position, there is no loosening of the die members relative to the connector, as there would be in the absence of the coil spring 30, because the coil spring 30 forces the die member 25 into close contact with the connector and also forces the connector into firm contact with the die member 15. Because of this the die members are always properly related to the connector to start a connector compressing operation.

I claim:

1. A pressure tool comprising a head, a first die member, means comprising elongated plate elements disposed at opposite sides of said head for supporting said first die member, a recess formed in said head for receiving said first die member, pivot means for pivoting one end portion of each of said plate elements to said head, a second die member supported by said head in opposing relation to said first die member, means for adjusting said second die member toward said first die member, and means for subjecting said plate elements to pivotal movement for moving said first die member toward said second die member, the last-mentioned means including a handle pivoted to said head, and a pair of links pivotally attached at corresponding ends thereof to the other end portion of each of said plate elements and pivotally attached at opposite corresponding ends thereof to said handle.

2. A pressure tool comprising a head, a first die member supported by said head, means comprising elongated plate elements disposed at opposite sides of said head and pivoted thereto for supporting said first die member, a second die member supported by said head, means for adjusting said second die member toward said first die member, and means for moving said first die member toward said second die member, the means for adjusting said second die member comprising a screwthreaded member supported for screwthreaded longitudinal adjustment with respect to a portion of said head, means for so connecting said second die member to said screwthreaded member that said serewthreaded member may be rotated and thereby impart straight-line movement to said second die member, and means for guiding said second die member for non-rotating straight-line movement, said means for moving said first die member toward said second die member comprising a handle pivoted to said head, and a pair of links pivotally attached at corresponding ends thereof to a portion of each of said plate elements and pivotally attached at opposite corresponding ends thereof to said handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,204 Bumbaugh Apr. 4, 1899 979,563 Robinson Dec. 27, 1910 1,380,653 Kilgour June 7, 1921 1,420,686 Campbell June 27, 1922 2,147,032 Haury Feb. 14, 1939 2,285,099 Specht June 2, 1942 2,329,385 Bratz Sept. 14, 1943 2,466,937 Downs Apr. 12, 1949 2,472,658 Gilbert June 7, 1949 2,556,725 Hurlbut June 12, 1951 

